Manuscript Volume, Items of 18561856This little journal/ledger contained a five-page account of the May 24, 1856, killings on Pottawatomie Creek, apparently written by James Hanway shortly after the incident. He mentioned the five victims by name and wrote: "The settlement is plunged into a perfect commotion. A meeting of the settlers was held on the 26th and they mutually agreed to protect each other from foreign or internal foes. All men of real good sense, condemned these midnight assassinations and also the killing of men who are attending to their concerns". This was a somewhat different perspective of the situation than expressed by Hanway in his 1860 letter to James Redpath. Nevertheless, the responsibility for "all such blood tragedies" is with the pro-slave men.

Keywords:Daily life; Franklin County, Kansas Territory; Indian agents; Land acquisition; Land grants; Native Americans; Natural resources; Ottawa Indians; Timber; Treaties; WeatherAuthors:Hutchinson, Clinton CarterTerritorial Census, 1855, District 4January-February, 1855This census was taken in order to determine eligible voters for elections to be held as proclaimed by Governor Andrew Reeder on November 10, 1854. The categories for information in the census were name, occupation, age, male, female, emigrated from, native of United States, naturalized citizen, declarant (intention to become a citizen), Negro, slave, and voter. Only white males over 21 were eligible to vote. The districts used for the census were the same as the election districts. A statistical summary of the census follows the enumeration pages. For District 4, the place of election was the house of Dr. ___Chapman. The boundaries of each district were described in Governor Reeder's proclamation and it is difficult to determine what counties were in each district. The description of the Fourth District follows: "Commencing at the Missouri State line, in the middle of the Santa Fe road; thence along the middle of said road to Rock Creek, near the sixty-fifth mile of said road; thence south to the line of the late Shawnee reservation ceded by the treaty of 1854; thence due east along the south line of said reservation and the north line of the existing reservations of the Sacs and Foxes, the existing reservations of the Chippewas and Ottawas and the late reservations of the Piankesaws, Weas, Peorias and Kaskaskias to the Missouri State line; thence up the Missouri State line to the place of beginning."

Keywords:Census; Donalson, C. B.; Franklin County, Kansas TerritoryAuthors:Donalson, C. B. Territorial Census, 1855, District 5January-March 1855This census was taken in order to determine eligible voters for elections to be held as proclaimed by Governor Andrew Reeder on November 10, 1854. The categories for information in the census were name, occupation, age, male, female, emigrated from, native of United States, naturalized citizen, declarant (intention to become a citizen), Negro, slave, and voter. Only white males over 21 were eligible to vote. The districts used for the census were the same as the election districts. There is an index and summary at the end of the census enumeration. For District 5, the place of election was the house of Hy. Sherman, on the old John Jones improvement, on Pottawatomie Creek. The boundaries of each district were described in Governor Reeder's proclamation and it is difficult to determine what counties were in each district. The description of the Fifth District follows: "Commencing at the Missouri State line, at the southern boundary of the Fourth District; thence east along the same to the northwest corner of the Sac and Fox Reservation; thence due south along the western line thereof and due south to the south branch of the Neosho River, about seventy miles above the Catholic Osage Mission; thence down the said river to the north line of the reserve for New York Indians, and east along said line to the head waters of Little Osage River, or the nearest point thereto; and thence down said river to the Missouri State line, and up said line to the place of beginning."

Keywords:Barbee, William; Census; Franklin County, Kansas Territory; Sherman, Hy.Authors:Barbee, William Testimony of S. H. MooreNovember 28, 1856This testimony made up a portion of the Journal of Investigations in Kansas, a collection of personal reminiscences that was apparently recorded by Thaddeus Hyatt, president of the National Kansas Committee. This particular account relates the experience of S. H. Moore, a resident of Ottawa, Kansas Territory. Mr. Moore describes the land, vegetation, etc. around Ottawa and mentions various settlers from the area.